Kolkata Events

Durga Puja

The most important Bengali festival, the puja ('worship') of
Durga, goddess of power, takes place throughout India but is
particularly important in the city of Kolkata. The festival takes
place over 10 days in September and October. The Goddess Durga,
Mother of the Universe, is a symbol of female dynamism and is
portrayed as both terrible and gracious. She is often depicted
riding a lion, and is usually pictured with 10 arms. The worship of
the goddess dates back to about 400 AD, possibly earlier and she
has many names and guises. The Durga Puja is marked with colourful,
exuberant processions, where handmade Hindu idols (some over 20
feet tall) are carried aloft to the river, where they are
ritualistically submerged. This rite combines ancient tradition
with a modern touch, as sometimes the idols used depict movie stars
or recent flood victims. Singing, dancing and gift-giving are part
of the celebrations and each day the ritual offerings are
different. Food offerings consist of variations of many different
things including sugar, honey, grains, fruits and oils, and other
decorative or symbolic offerings include items like mirrors,
arrows, soil, flowers, rings and bark.